Last Hope
by Signora Ted
Summary: Sisters Scarlett and Lexi have always relied on each other – nowadays, it's what keeps them alive. But a chance meeting with someone from Scarlett's past threatens to a secret that may change their relationship forever. All it took was the end of the world for Scarlett to find him again. Daryl/Oc. Time jumps from 1993-present. T for language.
1. Chapter 1

**_A/N: I was rewatching all the seasons and this just... Ugh I think I'm in love. I never usually like my story ideas as much as I like this one. This is gonna flip back and forward from the past to the present every few chapters. I always wanted to explore what Daryl would have been like as a teenager so this was fun._**

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"Lex, hush. Wait here for a minute."

"But-"

"D'you want dinner or not?" The sixteen- year- old rolled her eyes at her older sister, then crossed her arms and pouted.

Scarlett Monroe was careful of where she stepped. The tracks were only minutes old. She was close. Then, she saw it. A beautiful deer, seemingly oblivious to the world of chaos around it. Scarlett was so enraptured with it that the caution in her strides temporarily dissipated. She stepped on a twig, causing a loud snap. The deer's ears shot up and its head turned in her direction. Scarlett could have sworn the animal was staring right at her; their eyes locked together as if frozen in time. The serenity of the moment, however, was unfortunately interrupted by the sound of an arrow whizzing through the air. The deer broke it's gaze and let out a cry of pain before collapsing into a heap. Scarlett was momentarily confused. Then it dawned on her. There was another hunter nearby.

Swiftly, she drew her bow and spun around and pressed her back against the bark of the closest tree. She heard the footsteps of the other hunter coming closer. The subtle sound of leaves crunching under heavy boots met her ears, along with deep, heavy breathing. It came closer and closer, causing anxiety to wash over her. She let out a sigh of relief when there was the sound of the deer carcass being moved across the grass. There was rustling and a grunt came from the other hunter. A man, she concluded.

Her relief was short lived however, when the movement stopped, the deer being dropped to the ground with a thump. The footsteps began to approach her again, slowly but surely. She cursed when she realised the end of her bow hadn't been completely hidden by the tree. She was sure the pounding in her heart was going to make it explode. She strained her hearing, closing her eyes to focus solely on that one sense. The footsteps were gradually getting closer and closer. She once again readied her bow and turned from behind the tree. She gasped. She was face to face with a crossbow, arrows from each weapon almost touching. It was a very familiar crossbow. Looking up at the man's face, her hands began to shake violently.

An older looking, dirty Daryl Dixon was staring down at her in shock. "Scar..." Her name barely left his mouth as he let his crossbow drop to his side. She could see he obviously expected her to lower her weapon as well, but she didn't. Instead, she kept it trained on him, despite the protestations of her whole body. A sob threatened to escape her mouth when he took a step closer. She backed away.

"You just- just stay the fuck away from me, Daryl!" she screeched, her voice getting caught in her throat.

He took a step back, his mouth hanging open. She continued to back away further, her legs wobbling slightly from the shock, until she stumbled over a fallen branch with a shout of surprise. She fell, her back hitting the ground, her bow falling out of her hands. Daryl quickly leaned over to help her stand back up, but she batted his hands away.

"I said stay the fuck away from me!"

He growled in frustration and snatched up her bow from the ground beside her. Scarlett mimicked his aggressive noise as she finally pulled herself back onto her feet and lunged at him.

"Give me back my bow, you son of a bitch!" she yelled, not caring about the attention she could be bringing on them. Daryl refused and instead pushed her away.

"No! First, you tell me why the hell you're screamin' at me! I ain't done nothin' to you!"

"The fuck you did! I ain't explainin' myself to you, you asshole! Now give me my fucking bow back!"

"You weren't one for bad language, Scar. The hell is goin' on?" The way he said it was almost calmly, even a tone of worry.

Suddenly, the well of furious energy Scarlett had been drawing from felt all used up, and the tears she had been holding back for seventeen long years finally began to fall. Once the sobs started to rack her entire body, Daryl dropped both weapons and pulled her into his arms. Scarlett felt something she hadn't in a very long time. She felt whole again, even if it was for just a brief second. She cursed her body for its actions, as her arms instinctively wrapped around his middle as he held her close. She couldn't believe he was really there; it was his sweaty, filthy chest she was crying into. She had missed him so much. So, so much.

"Jesus, Scar! Are you- wait, what?"

Scarlett jumped in Daryl's arms and reluctantly pulled away, reaching for the red cloth she just knew he still had with him. She marvelled at how it had survived seventeen years. It was manky and stunk to the high heavens but she didn't care. Lexi had never ever seen her cry before and now was not the time. She turned to the younger girl.

"Lex, it's okay. He's a- he's a friend."

"Sure didn't sound that way a minute ago."

Daryl frowned at Lexi, scanning the girl's face, before shrugging his shoulders. "It's complicated." He said in a measured tone.

And then, Scarlett laughed. She laughed harder than she had in years and couldn't stop herself. Tears reappeared in her eyes as she clutched her stomach. Both Daryl and Lexi stood awkwardly as they watched Scarlett clearly losing her mind.

"So-sorry. Daryl, this is..." she paused and took a breath. "This is my little sister, Lexi. Lexi, this is Daryl. He's a friend from high school."

"You ain't got a sister." Daryl stated abruptly, still frowning. Scarlett clenched her jaw. "Da met someone after you... They were together for a bit. She died havin' this one."

Scarlett wished he would stop eyeing Lexi so suspiciously. Her heart pounded, and she subconsciously picked at the peeling skin under her finger nails. He was making her nervous.

"You have a camp? A group?" he asked, moving his gaze back to Scarlett as she discreetly gave him back his cloth.

"No, just us. Always been just us."

"Good. You're comin' with me then. Need help moving this beauty and you ain't gonna last much longer by yourselves. No offence, Scarlett. I'm with good people."

Scarlett nodded without even a slight argument. She didn't notice Lexi, who was completely baffled by the situation. Scarlett never cried, and she would never trust someone like that unless they were family or... Lexi's eyes widened when she figured it out.

Scarlett never had a serious relationship for as long as Lexi could remember. There was this one guy called Fitz; he was a ruggish guy Scarlett had brought in for question once on a case. He asked her out soon afterwards and so followed the playful banter.

That was a happy period in Scarlett's life. Lexi never saw her that happy ever again. She was _sure_ Fitz was going to marry Scarlett and they'd have loads of little adorable children. Then, Fitz found out that his highschool sweet heart had had a baby. He left Scarlett.

To Scarlett, it was ironic. It had also broken her.

But _this_ guy. _This_ guy _definitely_ had a serious relationship with Scarlett. Lexi could tell simply from Scarlett's aura; her posture had even reverted back to it's straight, tense self it always had been when she'd bump into Fitz again.

"Ya'll were a thing, We'ren't cha?" she whispered, her voice almost squeaking as Scarlett started packing up their camp. Daryl was standing watch. He didn't seem like Scarlett's type. Sure, Fitz was a little rough around the edges, but Daryl _grunted_ and had a redneck flare about him. Scarlett hated hicks. She cringed whenever she heard her accent mirrored. Maybe this was why.

Regardless, her sister blushed bright red and glanced over at the man's back, at the wings stitched onto the back of his jacket.

"Yeah. We were. Don't badger me 'bout it, Lex. It was a long time ago."

"But by that reaction I'm taking it that it was serious?" she whispered, hoping to have her suspicions confirmed.

"Yeah. It really was." There was something heavy in the moment as Scarlett sighed. She stood up and slung her pack over her shoulder. She gave Lexi a fragile smile and raised her voice slightly so Daryl could hear. "Now, come on before he gets cranky."

"I heard that, Tink!"

Lexi raised an eyebrow at Scarlett as they both walked over to Daryl. "Not a word, Lexi."

It wasn't a long trek from where Lexi and Scarlett had set up camp to where Daryl's people were. Scarlett was surprised at how they hadn't run into each other already, especially once she saw how big of a group they had. The RV was a massive give away as to their presence. As she and Daryl walked side by side, the deer slung shred over both's shoulders, Lexi trailing behind them with her and her sister's packs, heads began to turn at the nearby fire.

Scarlett spotted an elderly man wearing a fishing hat sitting up on the RV with a lamp. He jumped in his seat, nearly toppling forward at the sight of the two women. "Rick, Shane! There's, uh..." He didn't need to say any more. Two of the men by the dim fire a few metres away, shot up out of their seats and took their hand guns from their belts. Their group looked scared. Once Daryl came into sight however, one of them, in a sheriff's hat, relaxed. The other remained tense, rigid.

"Daryl, what's going on?"

Daryl ignored the man, giving only a grunt as a reply, and pulled the deer off Scarlett's shoulders, supporting his game on his own, and then dropped it on the ground by the RV. The two sisters remained quiet. Scarlett trusted Daryl and so Lexi didn't dare go against her sister's judgement. Not to mention, these other people had guns.

"Rick, this is Scarlett and her kid sister Lexi." The dirty-blonde teenager glared at the hunter's description, but soon forgave him when he took up position in front of them, almost possessively.

"Daryl, we can't just take them in," the sheriff began, shifting from one foot to the other. "We don't know anything 'bout them and at the moment we can't afford to be watchin' our backs. We've gotta find Sophia."

The sheriff's mistrust of them reassured Scarlett. In her mind, it meant that he was a responsible and probably a good leader. She could already feel the vibes off of him. Daryl was right.

The other man, presumably Shane, had huffed and dropped back down next to the fire, his head in his hands. He was almost growling, his jaw strongly clenched. The tense rivalry between the two was almost palpable, and Scarlett could definitely sense it.

"I can vouch for 'em."

Scarlett noted the look of surprise on Rick's face at this. These people obviously hadn't seen Daryl wearing his heart on his sleeve. He hadn't opened up to them it seemed. She wasn't shocked by that. It was understandable.

"You know them, Daryl?"

"I do, and I'd trust Scarlett with my life. And she can hunt too. She's real good."

Rick raised his brows. Lexi looked to Scarlett, puzzled.

"I taught her how. I ain't got a doubt in the world that she'd be an asset to the group. Dunno 'bout the sister but she's with Scar."

Rick looked slightly taken back at Daryl's familiarity with Scarlett. She was confused for a moment. Did the man not think Daryl had a life before this like everybody else? Did nobody care? Scarlett looked to the rest of the group by the fire. There was a young boy, three women and Shane. They looked close knit. Was Daryl not included in this apparent family of sort?

"He taught you how to use your bow?!" Lexi squeaked in Scarlett's ear, quiet enough that Rick wouldn't hear. At least that's what Scarlett hoped. "That's so romantic!" Scarlett gave the younger girl a light slap on the shoulder, feeling humiliated as she turned bright red.

Rick turned to them, his thumbs in the loops of his belt. Scarlett felt the eyes of the rest of the group on her. Their camp was just off the side of the road, close to the RV, but far away enough that the conversation wouldn't be heard. They were looking at the girls curiously. The little boy had his mouth wide open as he stared.

Rick sighed and turned back to Daryl, saying something under his breath to him. Daryl gave a small nod before going over to the Monroes and picking up the deer, slinging it back over his shoulder with ease.

"See yea in a bit," he said quietly to Scarlett as he passed by. Scarlett looked back to Rick, who was eyeing her suspiciously. She suddenly felt like she wasn't wearing any clothes. Although Daryl said these were good people, she felt far, far more comfortable with him there with them. Now, she felt exposed.

"Daryl says you're a hunter. We could use another. He can only catch so much." Rick spoke calmly, but his posture suggested he was still weary.

Scarlett smiled at Rick's unofficial welcome and Lexi gave a whoop. "Yes! A proper night's sleep! Hey, is that food I smell?" The teenager's nose all but rose in the air as she sniffed. Scarlett rolled her eyes and gave the girl another slap on the shoulder. "Manners, Lex. You're not five. We've just joined these good folks."

Rick eventually let his stone cold, serious face break and let out a chuckle. "No, s'okay. Go on over to the woman with the short hair. That's Carol. She'll fill your stomach real good."

Lexi almost levitated with happiness before running down towards the camp. She shared a few words with Carol and then went to sit on a log beside Daryl. He was too busy skinning the deer to take notice of her.

"I'm trusting Daryl on this one. He doesn't seem the like to trust easy and he swears you're good. Scarlett, right?"

Rick held out his hand and patiently waited for her to reply. Her eyes were still on Lexi and Daryl. Rick cleared his throat, making her jump. "Sorry what? I mean, yeah. Scarlett Monroe. Homicide detective. Sheriff, I see? Nice to bump into a fellow law enforcer."

She gave the man a smile, trying to ease the tension of the situation. Rick gazed down at his shoulders and ran his fingers along the brass.

"Deputy actually. Not much law to be enforcing these days, except from stopping all these people from killing each other."

"I'm assuming Merle's the shit stirrer then. Couldn't ever keep his damn trap shut." Scarlett frowned at Rick's silence and the look of guilt on his face. "Merle is with you guys, right? Ain't no Daryl without Merle. Where's the asshole?"

The man's silence continued as he looked down at the dirty concrete. He was with them then. Was. She was surprised Daryl wasn't a puddle of misery. He loved his brother. He loved his brother so much, regardless of the horrible abuse he would give Daryl, and the hardship he caused him. That man meant the world to him.

"He dead?"

"Am I gonna get decked like when Daryl asked the same question?"

"He is then? I'm feelin' a weird mixture of relief and pity. No Will then either?"

The look Rick gave her was enough to tell her that the oldest Dixon had never been with them.

"Good. Hope that bastard died slowly."

"Hey, are we gonna have a problem here? Merle didn't play nice with others, you able to?" Rick's tone turned stern as he took a step forward to lean closer to Scarlett. He was on the defence.

"Don't worry, Deputy Sheriff. Will Dixon ain't someone worth losing my temper over. You got questions for me then? Go ahead, you gotta make sure your camp is safe." She spoke casually, although her sight was locked on Lexi. Scarlett didn't trust these people yet, and Lexi was the only thing she cared about right now. She was slightly protective of the teenager.

Rick opened his mouth to say something but closed it a moment later. Scarlett couldn't quite figure out what he was thinking. He was apparently a hard man to read.

"I know there ain't really a need to ask, you seem fairly capable, but it wouldn't be fair if i didn't. How many you killed?"

"I've no idea," It was an honest response and Scarlett was pleased that it satisfied Rick.

"How many living you killed?"

Scarlett should have expected a question like that but didn't. She was caught off guard and froze.

"How many people have you killed, Ms Monroe?"

Scarlett looked up into the man's eyes, his tired eyes, and the dropped her gaze to her feet. "Three," she said, a lump forming in her throat. It wasn't an experience she liked reliving. "Three men stumbled into our camp and tried to rape Lex while I was tied up." Her voice wavered and she bit her lip. Her stomach churned at the memory.

There was silence. Scarlett stayed with her head down, unable to even look at Rick's facial expression.

"You should go get some food. You can track like Daryl, right?"

Scarlett looked back up at him, shocked at his reaction. He held up his hands in defence. "They attacked you, tried to rape your sister. You did what you had to. Now, can you track?"

"Uh, yeah. Yeah, I can. Daryl taught me." Rick noticed her tone was distant. She was somewhere else, somewhere horrible.

"Good. We'll need your help tomorrow." He held his hand up above his eyes and gazed at the sky. The sun was beginning to set. "Go get food and some sleep. Carol's little girl went missing and your help would be very much appreciated."

A little girl. A little girl, missing in this awful and terrifying world. The thought of it horrified Scarlett. The thought of it being Lexi... "I will help as much as I can, Rick. Whatever you need."

He nodded, shadow beginning to darken his face as light began to fade. Scarlett gave him a comforting pat on the shoulder and headed down the slope towards the fire. She could tell that the man needed some reassurance. She couldn't imagine what the weight on his shoulders felt like. The group had obviously nominated him as their leader. Whether it naturally or forced, Scarlett wasn't sure. All she knew was these people had put all their faith in Rick and were depending on him to be strong.

When she finally made it to the camp, she took it all in. It seemed that Daryl had eventually taken notice of Lexi and was now sitting facing her on the log, one leg resting on each side on the ground. The two were talking over their dinner of tinned beans and spam. Scarlett wasn't sure about how she felt regarding the two's interactions. Lexi just stared up at him in wonder. Scarlett prayed to the good lord that the young girl wasn't developing a crush on her ex-boyfriend. That would get awkward very very fast.

"Those two are cute. Lexi told us you knew Daryl before all of this?" The kind, sweet voice made her jump.

It was... Carol? That was her name? She held out a plate and fork to Scarlett and a kind smile. She seemed calm. Scarlett didn't understand how. If a twelve year old Lexi was missing... Scarlett shuddered.

"Thank you. I'm-"

"Scarlett, yes, I know. Your sister told me."

Scarlett rolled her eyes. Lexi and her big mouth. "Sorry if she's being a bit... I don't even know what word to use..."

"Peppy?"

Scarlett snorted and almost dropped her plate when her hand went to cover her mouth. She was laughing and couldn't stop. "Oh-oh, god. I'm sorry! I'm just so tired and you just summed her up and... fuck. I need food and sleep. Thank you. Thank you so much."

Carol smiled again, this one maybe a little more natural. "Go! Sit down and eat! I'm sure Daryl will let you bunk with him tonight. Lexi can stay in the RV with me and it's too late to be putting up a tent when you're too tired."

She forced a painful smile. Oh, hell no. That was a very, very bad idea. "Sure, thanks." Curse these polite words. She would need to clear up everything with him before then. After that she might be sleeping in a bush.

She sat down next to Lexi, who was still animatedly chatting to Daryl. He looked over the sixteen year old's shoulder to Scarlett, a pleading look on his face for her to shut the girl up. Scarlett simply gave him a good hearted middle finger.

She was just about finished scraping the last of her food up off the plate when Rick rejoined them. She hoped he would introduce them, because Scarlett was getting sick of the suspicious and curious glances fired in her and Lexi's direction. Lexi didn't even notice them.

"Guys," Rick called, grabbing everyone's attention. Before this, Scarlett hadn't noticed the dark haired man, Shane, sitting opposite her at the fire. If looks could kill, Rick would be dead ten times over. This fuck was his problem?

"Who are these people, Rick, and why they eating with us? We taking in just any strays now?" Shane growled, his lip curling up with his words.

Scarlett did not like this man. She did not like this man at all. And by the way she saw Daryl shifted around beside Lexi, he didn't either.

"Shane, just relax for a minute. This is Scarlett Monroe and her sister Lexi-"

"They drug dealers too, Rick? We gonna have to handcuff them to a rooftop too?"

So that was what happened to Merle. Sorry way to go. Scarlett braced herself for Daryl's retaliation.

"You shut your stupid fucking face, Shane!" Daryl yelled, standing up and accidentally shocking lexi. Scarlett wasn't sure if he was angry about his jackass brother or was defending them.

"You don't know shit 'bout Scar, not Merle either! Scar ain't like that!"

"Can't see anyone with a backbone hanging out with your sorry ass-"

"Shane!" A brunette woman that stood next to a young boy, presumably her son, scolded the man like she was calling off a dog.

"Daryl," Scarlett said calmly. "Sit down and stop fuelling the damn fire." Daryl was fuming, huffing and puffing as he sat back down. Not once did his eyes leave Shane's.

"Oh, would you look at that. He's some girl's bitch. Never thought the great Daryl Dix-"

He didn't have a chance to finished his insult before Daryl launched out of his seat and tackled Shane off the log. "You shut the fuck up, man!"

Scarlett was sure Rick paused, letting Daryl land a few punches, before hauling him off Shane. "Are you quite done, Shane?" Rick asked him, his voice strained from remaining calm. Dary sat down, this time at Scarlett's side. Shane spit on the ground as he stood up. He wiped his hands on his pants and stormed off in the direction of his tent. Nobody missed the glare he sent Rick. Scarlett had a feeling it wasn;t actually Daryl that Shane had a problem with.

"So, that's Shane then?" Lexi asked innocently, her voice quiet but loud enough to break through the painful silence. With a brief shake of his head, Rick went on to introduce them.

"Scarlett can hunt and track like Daryl. I'm hearing things about him being her teacher-"

"You beat I was! Ya ain't gonna just pick up these skills off the streets."

Scarlett sighed.

"I can hunt, I can cook... I can do whatever needs to be done so I can earn my keep. Lexi can-"

"Speak for herself." The youngest Monroe sent Scarlett a playful glare. "I can do anything too. Whatever you need. Just can't hunt. Someone refused to teach me..."

Scarlett gave her shoulder a light slap, yet again. "Ssh, Lex. I hear there's a search going out for your daughter, Carol. I'll help however I can." The older woman nodded her thanks and looked to the ground once the tears began to well up in her eyes. She had noticed Carol staring longingly at Scarlett and Lexi when they interacted. Scarlett, at that moment, felt emotion well up in her own chest at the sight of the poor woman. All she would do was try and find that girl.

Once dishes were cleaned up and everyone started turning in, Scarlett made it her mission to finally speak to Daryl alone. She watched as Carol ushered Lexi into the RV and then scanned the camp for Daryl.

"Hey," he said quietly, his breath warm against her ear as he stood behind her. "You can bunk with me tonight if you want."

"I need to talk to you first."

"We can talk in my tent-"

"No, Daryl. Seriously. We can't just pick up where we left off. Things were serious back then. We were young. And things have changed. Which is why I need to talk to you."

He was frowning when she turned to face him, and looked down at her with his beautiful blue eyes. They weren't helping her already nervous heart. She grabbed his hand and led him away from the main camp, but still in the sights of Glenn, who was on watch. Just far enough to be out of hearing range, which was good in case this escalated to yelling.

"Why do I feel like I'm a teenager being broken up with? We ain't even-"

"Lexi isn't my sister, Daryl."

"Yeah, thought that. Never thought your dad would go for it again. She your cousin or something? She still looks real like you."

"And you."

"Huh?" Scarlett was getting frustrated with him. He really did have no idea.

"She ain't my sister, Daryl."

"Yeah, you said that. What are ye-"

"She's my daughter, Daryl! Your daughter!"

His face went pale, an impressive feat due to his tanned complexion. He just stared into her eyes. Blankly. It was as if he was going into shock. Maybe he was. There were many outcomes she had dreamt up of this moment.

"What?" The words barely left his mouth, sounded as if they had gotten caught in his throat.

"Please don't make me say it again, Daryl. Please, just... tell me what you're-"

"You have a daughter." It was a statement, but it was better than just 'what?'.

"Yes, I do."

"And I have a daughter."

"Yes, you do." Scarlett began bracing herself for his full reaction but was pleasantly surprised.

"How old is she?"

"You were always good at maths, Daryl. Thought you'd be able to figure that out."

"Sixteen. I have a sixteen year old daughter. A teenaged daughter."

Tears ran down Scarlett's cheeks as she looked at his face. Almost lost in the shocked expression, was a small smile that gently tugged at the corner of his lips.

"Does she- does she know I'm her-"

"No, Daryl... She thinks I'm just her sister. It's what I've always told people. I was only a little older than her when I had her and.. I wouldn't have gotten jobs. People assume young mothers-"

"You shouldn't have had to lie. I should have been there. I'm so sorry, Scarlett."

This was never ever the reaction she had imagined from him.

"I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry."

"Daryl, please stop."

Gradually, his breathing deeped. She thought he was about to start hyperventilating, but was slowly calmed down once Scarlett wrapped her arms around him. There were still tears running down her cheeks as she buried her face into the crook of his neck. He brought his own arms around her and kissed her neck before resting his chin on the top of her head. She wondered if he realised how affectionate he was being, but at that moment she didn't care. At that moment, she was back in that ice skating ring, seventeen and with him, both without a care in the world. Well, there was that test on Sylvia Plath. The memory made her smile. Until he asked that dreaded question.

"Can we tell her?" Scarlett pulled away from him and frowned. "And tell her I've been lying to her, her entire life? Daryl, I dont- I don't know if I could do that. Could we just...just go back to your tent and pretend we're back in high school and Amy and Haley and David are still-"

He cut her off with a kiss; their first kiss in over seventeen years. It felt like it was only yesterday.


	2. Chapter 2

**_A/N: Taking another break from writing my original work to play with this beauty. I love this story. I love Scarlett. I love Daryl. Sorry, ignore me and just enjoy this chapter! Sorry if there's any mistakes, it's 3am and I'm tired. Leave me review if you liked it! Reviews are author fuel!_**

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 _ **1993**_

Scarlett Monroe pushed her brown hair behind her ears as she climbed the stairs to English class. It was her favourite subject by far, the only subject the seventeen year old managed to ace without fail. She was quite proud of herself. She was the first of many generations of her family to actually stay in school, and needless to say, it was quite apparent that the rest of her family never passed English during their brief attendance. 'Typical hick fucks', she had heard multiple times. She proved that stereotype wrong.

The shouting and laughing from the other students in the hallway was adding to the pounding ache in her temple, and she cursed under her breath when she tripped over the last step. She was, however, pleasantly surprised when the impact she had braced herself for never came. Instead, she was caught around the middle by someone. She would be lying if she said she wasn't embarrassed when she looked up to see who had caught her.

For all his rough exterior and somewhat intimidating aura, Daryl Dixon was an attractive guy. Not many of the other girls took notice of him; they were turned off by the company he kept, which was of course, his older brother Merle and his buddies. Merle had already left school; he was a good ten years older than his brother. However, outside of the school walls, Daryl was attached to his hip. None of the girls would even spare the brother of a infamous druggy a glance. Scarlett supposed they thought Daryl was the same as Merle. She sure did.

But it all didn't change the fact that he was hot. His blue eyes alone were enough Scarlett blush.

Finally out of her daze, she discovered she was still clinging to his shirt and that it was making him very, very uncomfortable. His face said it all.

"Oh, um... sorry. I mean, thanks." She quickly released him and put almost half a metre between them. He looked at her confused. "Thank you, Daryl." she tried again, giving him a soft smile and straightening up.

After a moment, she realised she wasn't going to reply. Clearing her thoat, she brought the strap of her bag back up onto her shoulder. "So, uh... see you around."

She turned on her heel and blushed furiously as she walked towards the classroom. She could feel him staring at her. She had barely taken five steps when she heard him catch up beside her.

"Are you in Ms Williams' English class?"

She jumped at the sound of his deep voice and turned her head to glance at him. "Um, yes. Are you transferring?"

"Yeah," he replied, moving his gaze to the ground. "Cummins didn't have the patience for me. Thought Williams would do a better job gettin' this crap into my thick skull."

Scarlett frowned at his dismissive words. Daryl was in her art class and was one of the star pupils. She had no other classes with him, but she had always assumed he was good at school in general. There was a look of frustrated misery on his face, and Scarlett couldn't help but feel those words weren't his own.

"Oh... well, her class is down this way. Don't worry, she's real nice and she'll be able to help you-"

"I don' need help with an'thin'!" he snapped, giving Scarlett a fright. She just nodded and continued to lead Daryl down the hallway. Once they reached the door, Scarlett stopped and put a hand lightly on Daryl's shoulder.

"If she-" Daryl noticeably flinched at her touch, so she quickly dropped her hand back to her side. "If she seems really peppy and excited for a new student, that's just her. It takes a while to get used to her overwhelming enthusiasm."

Scarlett had a feeling that Ms Williams' personality would be a shock to Daryl's system. He nodded his thanks and pushed open the door with his head down. Scarlett was sure she had heard him take a shaky breath.

* * *

Daryl was told to choose a seat in the room, and to Scarlett's surprise, he came down to the empty desk beside her. It wasn't like he was stuck for choice; it was a small class and there were plenty of seats beside the guys. But he sat down beside her without a word and stared ahead at the blackboard, squinting slightly. Scarlett couldn't help but watch him out of the corner of her eye for the entire class.

As they took down notes from the board, she noticed something very odd in his notepad. His writing was more of a scrawl across the page, and even though the notes were written letter by letter, there were spelling mistakes in his own writing; some words were even placed in the wrong order. It slowly dawned on her that he wasn't short sighted. Daryl Dixon had a learning disability. His reaction to the word 'help' now made sense. He was embarrassed.

"Ms Monroe, do you need glasses?"

Scarlett jumped at her teacher's voice. "What?" she blurted out, instantly mortified at her manners.

"Can you not see the notes on the board?"

Scarlett was confused for a moment until she realised her teacher had caught her. "I'm sorry, Ms. I'm tired and zoned out."

"Well, next time you zone out, do it towards your own copy and not Mr Dixon's."

She went bright red and felt her cheeks heat up when Daryl turned to look at her. _Oh, god. He's gonna hate me now and never speak to me again._

For the rest of the class, Scarlett kept her head down, too humiliated to even look in Daryl's direction. She never noticed that now, he was looking at _her_.

Once the bell rang, Scarlett shot up out of her seat and shoved her books into her shoulder bag. As she headed out the door, she heard heavy footsteps following her.

"Daryl," Ms Williams called. The footsteps stopped. "May I have a word?"

Scarlett discreetly turned her head as she moved towards the door. Daryl's face had drained of all colour.

* * *

At lunch, Scarlett was bombarded with questions from her friends.

"Scar," Amy began, leaning on her elbows with a sandwich in her hands. "What was going on in English today?"

Amy was the only one of Scarlett's friends that was in her English class, but had changed seats away from her once her boyfriend joined the class. Hayley's blonde eyebrows rose up at Amy's words, and she let out a dramatic gasp.

"What do you mean, 'what was going on', Amy? Ooh, spill, Scar."

Scarlett groaned as she opened up her container of salad. "Nothing was going on, guys"

"Your blush disagrees."

Scarlett's eyes widened and her hands flew up to her cheeks.

"Amy, is this guy related?" Hayley said, her voice raising several octaves.

"Sure is, Hales. Scarlett's got herself a beau."

"Guys, stop."

"Awh, are they cute?"

"You have no idea. He went and sat right beside her and just stared at her for half of the class."

That was news to Scarlett.

"That's either cute or creepy."

"It was cute, trust me. And Scar got in trouble with Williams for looking at him too!"

"Awh, okay. Is it Jason?"

"Ew, no. Try again. You'll never guess!"

"Michael?"

"Nope!"

"Jamie?"

"Nope!"

"Come on, give me a hint!"

"Well, he's got one other class with her, he's got two classes with you. I believe it's Algebra and P.E-"

"Stop, Amy," Scarlett said, getting tired of her friends' back and forth guessing game.

"-and she's got no real competition 'cos no one else is brave enough-"

"Amy, stop."

"-and he's quiet and mysterious and he's got these big blue eyes-"

" _Amy!_ "

Scarlett's yell drew slight attention from a few others in the cafeteria. Amy finally stopped, but Hayley was just getting started.

"Scar," the blonde began, giving her friend a serious look. "Is Amy talking about Daryl Dixon?"

Scarlett groaned, confirming Hayley's suspicions, and dropped her forehead to the table, quietly banging it against the surface again and again.

"Amy, this is a problem," she heard Hayley say.

"What? Why?"

"This guy has never had a girlfriend before to the best of my knowledge and he's quiet and a loner. He's never gonna make a move himself."

"You're right, Hales. We're gonna have to- oh wait. Neeeeeever mind."

There was a moment of dread for Scarlett as silence fell on her two friends, making the familiar footsteps easier to hear. Slowly, she lifted her head and felt a tingle when a hand tapped her shoulder. Turning to look at him, she noticed him shifting from foot to foot.

"Hi, Daryl," she said, forcing a small smile."

"Uh, hi... Scarlett, right?" she nodded. "Could I... talk to you for a minute?" His eyes flicked over to Amy and Hayley who were on the brink of giggling. "...alone?"

Scarlett was taken back and a bit apprehensive. Her friends' words were nonsense. "Sure, I'll meet you in the hall in a second."

"Uh, thanks." The second he turned and left, Amy and Hayley let out a chorus of 'awh's.

"He's so cute and awkward!" Amy squeaked. Scarlett sent her the evil eye and threw back her chair as she stood up. "I'll be back in a minute. Try to contain yourselves, children."

Behind her, as she walked away, she heard the other girls cackling. They weren't helping. She already felt nervous. She wasn't used to talking to guys, much less to guys who probably thought she was creepy. When she eventually turned the corner, she almost crashed into him.

"Oh, jeez, sorry. Um, what did you want to talk about? If it's about earlier, I'm real-"

"You're real good at English." he stated, cutting her off. She was puzzled.

"Well, I suppose. I mean, I get A's.

"Why were you lookin' at my notes today? Was it 'cos you saw my spellin'?"

"Um... well, yes. But-"

"Can you help me get better? I ain't good at it and Williams looked at my last scores and said she'd fail me if I don't get better."

Scarlett was left dumbstruck at his request, not expecting this outcome.

"I know y'all brainiacs thin learnin' and shit ain't important to me 'cos of Merle, but it does and words don't work in my head."

Scarlett wished she didn't feel pity for him; she had been on the receiving end of it countless times, but it was true that that was what most of the student body thought of the Dixons. They were dumb rednecks that had their brain cells burned away from drugs and drink. Scarlett didn't let her pity show.

"Of course, I will. Ya know, Daryl...It ain't that you're stupid. You're real good at maths, right?"

"S'pose..."

"I...I noticed that you seem to find it hard to read 'nd write sentences."

"Well, yeah. That's why I'm askin' ya for help. Look, if you don't wanna-"

"No, no! That's not what I mean. I think you're dyslexic."

"The hell is that?"

"It makes reading and writin' hard. Words don't look in the right order and it's hard to spell."

"How'd you-"

"Psychology is pretty cool. I read up on this stuff when I'm bored. You ain't stupid, Daryl. It ain't your fault. It's just... the way your brain is wired."

"So, I'm gonna fail English then?"

"No, you won't," Scarlett replied with a smile. "Cos I'm gonna help you. You're gonna get a B whether you like it or not. How 'bout everyday after school at my house? It's quiet there 'nd it's just down the road. Library is too busy."

Daryl looked somewhat bewildered at Scarlett's attitude towards the whole thing. "Thanks." He turned around to leave but paused and stepped back to face her. "How come you talk like me 'nd the rest of us rednecks but when you write you're all fancy and shit?"

His question struck Scarlett. She had never thought about that before. "S'pose it's cos it's just how the words come out of my mouth. My da has a worse accent but can write like the Queen of England. Weird, innit?"

He nodded, smirking slightly, and then walked away down the hall away from her. Taking a deep breath, Scarlett braced herself for her friends' reactions. They'd likely spontaneously combust when they heard that Daryl Dixon would be spending his evenings at her house. Alone. In close quarters. Scarlett considered not telling them for the sake of her sanity.


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N: I don't like the first half of this chapter. Ew. But Merle is back in town!**_

 ** _TheFaceOfAlison: I know, teenage Daryl is something I always wanted to read, so why not do it myself? I always thought he'd be somewhat quiet and a bit of a loner and I dunno why, but Daryl being dyslexic just feels_ right _if you know what I mean? I dunno. Anyway, enjoy this chapter!_**

 ** _Reviews are appreciated guys! Enjoy!_**

* * *

 _ **1993**_

"The sixth stanza is gonna be a bit difficult. Plath didn't censor her sufferin'."

"That was that electric shock treatment thing, yeah?"

"Yeah. It's good to understand what she's actually talking about. Makes words easier to remember. Go on then, stanza six."

As he had been doing all along during their hour at Scarlett's house, Daryl shifted in his seat awkwardly, and clenched his jaw tightly. He obviously hated looking weak and dependant. From what Scarlett know, Daryl and his brother had to look out for themselves. She had heard rumours about their father... but she was never one to believe gossip. The only reason why she even considered it the truth, was because she knew her da had had dealings with Will Dixon, and they weren't good.

"I have suffered the at-atro-atro-"

"Okay, so 'atrocity' is pronounced _a-traw-city,_ rather than _a-tro-city._ "

"Atrocity."

"Yep, that's it."

Instead of being happy about his progress, Daryl huffed and glared at the page. "I have suffered the... atrocity of sunsets, scorched to the root-" Scarlett braced herself for his usual growl of frustration. "-my red filaments burn and stand, a hand of wires."

She let out a whoop before she could stop herself, and cursed when he looked at her strangely. "Sorry, thought you'd get stuck of 'filaments'. I hate seein' ya get frustrated with yourself."

"What is it about this chick's words you like so much?"

Scarlett frowned, confused by his question. "Wha-"

"You say the words really... I dunno. Happily? Why? They're fuckin' depressing as hell."

Scarlett paused and thought hard. She had never realised she did that. "I dunno. I think her poems are a beautiful representation of what mental illness is like. She captures it perfectly."

"How'd you know what mental illness is like? You depressed or somethin'?"

"I'm not depressed," It wasn't an outright lie. "Just paints a pretty good picture of what it's s'pose to be like. Like I said, psychology is cool."

"Well, if this s'what it's like, I ain't ever gonna wish it on my worst enemy."

Scarlett was pleasantly surprised by his response. Not many people were that open minded about mental illness in that day and age. Daryl noticed her facial expression.

"What?"

Scarlett was thrown back out of her deep thoughts and brought back to reality. "Sorry, think my hunger is slowing down my brain function." She gazed at the clock. "You want dinner? My da will be home in a bit so I gotta go put the pots on."

Daryl looked like a startled rabbit. "No! I mean... nah, thanks. Hey, Scarlett?"

He caught her attention as she moved out of her chair. "Yeah?"

He looked uncomfortable again, so she turned her back to him so to take the pressure off of him. She began to take the things out for dinner as he spoke.

"I don't have anythin' to pay you back with. Is there...anythin' I can do to pay you back? You're helpin' me and it don't feel right to expect you to do it for nothin'."

Scarlett's heart sank for him. She had never expected any type of payment, but she should have known he wouldn't have let it go. He seemed like the type of guy who didn't like owing people debts.

"It's fine, Daryl. Seein' you make progress and gettin' better grades is enough for me."

He blushed without her seeing as she pulled out some meat out of the freezer. The label on the package made him cringe.

"That stuff is awful and processed. It ain't got the real taste of venison."

Scarlett rose her brows as she turned to look at him, and then to the plastic wrapped meat. "That's what my da always says," she said with a little laugh. "He was spoiled as a kid cos he own da used to go on huntin' trips and bring back the best deer 'round."

And for the first time ever, Scarlett saw a small smile tug at Daryl's lips.

"I hunt."

"Oh, good lord. You better not stay for dinner so. I'd have to listen to my da chatter on to you all night about the benefits of using old fashioned bows rather than 'those damned guns'."

"I hunt with a crossbow."

"Oh, sweet Jesus," she laughed, placing the meat on the counter and pulling out a pan and oil. Daryl liked her laugh.

"Why don't he hunt anymore if he loved it so much?" He couldn't help but sniff the air as the meat sizzled in the pan.

"He doesn't have the time anymore and injured his shoulder a while back. Is real miserable 'bout it all. He's constantly whining about how he'd take me out a teach me if it weren't for his shoulder, 'cos apparently I'm not allowed to feed him this chemically altered shit in his old age."

And at that precise moment, as she reached for the container of garlic pepper, she saw something dawn across Daryl's face.

"I can teach you. As payment for your help. Do you have a bow?"

Daryl's proposal jolted Scarlett, causing her to almost forget about the meat in the pan. The smell of burning brought her attention back.

"That would be... great. Yeah, I still have da's bow up in the attic. But ain't it different to a crossbow?"

"Yeah, but I know how to use that too. Huntin' is kind of a big thing to me."

A door banged shut, causing both teenagers to jump. "Oh, hell no! I'm not letting you two get started. You're sure you don't want dinner though?"

"Nah, got some real food at my place."

Scarlett noticed he didn't say 'home'.

"Well, fine then," she said with a smirk, walking over and picking up his poetry book. "I'll let you go eat your fancy deer. Call me when you want to go out hunting."

She quickly picked up a pen and scribbled her house phone number on the inside of his book. Out of habit, she left a smiley face beside her name. Snapping the book shut, she smacked him on the shoulder with it.

"Be gone then, Dixon. Just walk straight and avoid all eye contact with my da. Otherwise you'll never leave."

Daryl couldn't help but smile. Taking the book from her hands, he nodded and started towards the door, only to stop briefly and look over his shoulder at her. "See ya Scarlett. Thanks for everythin'."

Scarlett beamed at him and gave him a short wave. "Until tomorrow!"

* * *

"So, who was that young man that just walked past and completely blanked me?" her father asked as he sat down at the table, moving all of Scarlett's English papers to the side. He frowned when a loose essay caught his eye. It was written in a messy scrawl wih a marked percentage of 39% in the corner. Red pen circled words and arrows connected notes written in Scarlett's handwriting at the side of certain phrases. Then, his eyes found the name.

"Oh, he's a guy who just transferred to my English class. He's struggling real badly and came to me for help."

"So I can see..." her da muttered, glaring at the page.

"Shit," Scarlett said, dropping the peeling knife onto the counter and quickly snatching the page from her father.

"Daryl Dixon, Scar? Really?"

"Listen, Sa. He ain't-"

"Scarlett, you know his family's history. I've dealt with his brother Merle one too many times. They ain't safe to be around."

"No, Sa. Daryl's not like that. He wants to do well in school but he's findin' English real hard 'cos he's dyslexic and he ain't getting any help. They're gonna fail him, Sa."

"And what's he paying you with? Crystal?"

"Jesus, Sa!" Scarlett exclaimed, slamming her fists down on the table. "He ain't like that! He doesn't have money to pay me with so he's gonna teach me to hunt. Like you wanna."

Michael Monroe was taking back by his daughter's outburst, and even more so, her words.

"Hunt?"

"Yeah. He hunts with a crossbow. Saw the meat we buy and said just what you say. I told him 'bout how you wanted to teach me so he said he'd help me learn. Imagine it, Da. Real fresh meat on the table, just like Granda used to get."

Michael sat there with his eyebrows raised as Scarlett turned back to her cooking. The Dixons had always been a problem for the cops in the town Merle Dixon in particular. Michael hadn't heard much about the younger brother, but his father was infamous just like Merle, and he couldn't imagine how the boy could turn out any different.

"I ain't happy 'bout this, Scar." he said with a sigh. "But you've got a good head on your shoulders and I know you're not naive. He try an'thin' though, you come to me right away, you hear?"

"Yes, Officer Monroe."

Scarlett wondered if Daryl knew her da was the sheriff.

* * *

He stared at the number and the name beside it as he sat down on the tattered sofa. It smelt like cigarettes and beer. Her name had a smiley face beside it, bringing a smirk to Daryl's face. She was so innocent but mature at the same time. He'd never say anything, but he had noticed that she adapted her behaviour to him whenever he became uncomfortable or frustrated; she changed her tone, her approach to the topic. She didn't get annoyed or fed up when he had to stop every few minutes to sound out a word.

He didn't feel like a disaster anymore.

He felt himself progressing more than he ever had before, and for that, he owed Scarlett a great deal.

Turning his attention back to the number, he groaned. He didn't have a phone. Merle wasn't around enough and his old man... There had never been any point to have one installed. And so, he decided he'd let her know tomorrow in school.

School. For once, he wasn't dreading it. Merle called him a faggot for the A's he got in Art, and a dumb fuck for the D's he got in everything else. He'd been pressured into dropping out so many times, but he never gave in. School was the only break he got from the damp and cold house he supposedly called home. It meant less time around his old man. Less time around the nightmare.

Daryl flipped through the poetry book until he landed on page 425, 'Elm'. Sylvia Plath's poems were so depressing and disturbing the more he understood them, but Scarlett had lit up when Ms Williams had assigned them the poet. The girl was odd, but she had made Daryl smile for the first time in a long, long time. He couldn't remember the last time someone had shown him that much kindness. And dyslexic? All of a sudden, he didn't feel quite like the 'dumb fuck' he had begun to believe he was.

Daryl jumped as there was a loud bang of a door slamming shut. Merle...

"Heya, baby brother. How's it goin'?"

Daryl glared at his brother, who had stumbled into the room. He was either high or drunk. Based on the stench that followed him, Daryl guessed the latter.

"Been a month, Merle. Things ain't great."

"Awh, wait now," Merle slurred, falling down onto the sofa beside his brother, causing the springs to make a distressed squeak. "I had things to do. You still rottin' away in that school of yours? Gimme a look."

Merle pulled the poetry book from Daryl's hands, despite his tight grip. He scrunched his face up and his lips twitched. "The hell is this bullshit? These words ain't small enough for your pea brain. Hey, that ain't your writin'. You got a teacher helpin' ya read? Awh, little Darylina gotta have an adult hold his hand, eh?"

Daryl clenched his jaw so hard that he felt the pressure against his gums. "It ain't a teachers. Gotta little bitch taken my notes for me. Couldn't be fucks with that shit." Lie, lie, lie.

Merle grunted and flicked through the pages, mumbling to himself words Daryl couldn't make out. He gradually let himself zone out and let Merle grumble to himself, but it was interrupted by his brother's mad cackling.

"Has my baby brotha' got himself a little girlfriend, eh?"

Daryl glanced at the page Merle was on and groaned.

"The hell is Scarlett, ay? Sexy name. She sexy, brother? Meh, probably not, gotta be an innocent little bitch; put a cute smiley face 'nd everythin'."

Daryl had enough of his brother's teasing and snatched the book off him, before getting up and yanking the front door open. "I'mma go out. Don't burn down the place while I'm gone." He heard his brother's harsh laughter behind him as he slammed the fragile door, nearly knocking it off it's hinges.

He needed peace and quiet to concentrate.


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N: Hello, darlings. Here is another chapter, the second set in TWD time. I'm currently adding stuff into the first chapter because I've got a crazy smart friend who**_ **enjoys _proofreading? I dunno where I find these people. Anyway, leave me a review if you like it! Enjoy!_**

* * *

She woke up hot and sticky, and to the smell of sweat and dirt. Opening her eyes, she found herself sprawled across Daryl, one leg over his, an arm across his chest, and her head snuggled into her shoulder. He was still asleep and looked far younger than he had the night before. He looked like her Daryl, if maybe a bit dirtier. She sighed deeply and curled into him tighter, closing her eyes again. The brightness from the sun shining through the tent didn't help however, and she eventually gave up trying to go back to sleep. Daryl was still out for the count.

Pulling herself up, Scarlett pulled on her boots and laced them up. They were the only article of clothing she had managed to remove before falling asleep. It had been a very, very long time since she had the chance at a full night's sleep.

Quietly, she unzipped the tent and crouched under, stepping into the burning sun. Stretching out her back, she heard bones crack. Her back was in a state from the continuous stress being put on it. Now, with a group, life wouldn't be as hard.

Turning back, she closed the door to Daryl's tent and then set off towards the rest of the group, who were getting started on breakfast. She heard Lexi before she saw her.

"Scar!" Scarlett closed her eyes, preparing herself for the mad array of questions she was about to receive.

"Hey, Lex," she said as she went to sit beside the younger girl on a log by the fire. "You sleep okay?"

"Slept better than ever. How'd _you_ sleep?" Lexi wiggled her eyebrows and the sudden memory of Daryl asking if they could tell Lexi the truth exploded in her mind. She snapped.

"Stop it, Lexi!" The girl opened her mouth to say something, looking incredibly offended. Scarlett got there first. "I want you to keep your nose out of my personal business and do something useful for a change!"

The words left Scarlett's mouth before she had processed them in her mind, and instantly wanted to kick herself. She was acting like a teenager, and despite Lexi's ignorance to the truth, Scarlett still tried to act like her mother. The girl went bright red and let out a shaky breath before getting up off the log and storming off over to Lori, who was busy washing clothes.

Scarlett groaned and let her head fall into her hands. She didn't know how she was going to balance both sides now that Daryl was here; now that the guilt was harder to ignore. Things were going to change, whether she liked it or not.

"Scarlett?" A soft, timid voice woke her from her pity fest. She lifted up her head to see Carol standing by her side.

"Hi, Carol." The words barely left her lips, her mind still elsewhere. "Can I help you?"

Carol gave her an uneasy smile, obviously aware of Scarlett's mental battle that was waging war in her head. "I was just wondering if you knew when Daryl left to hunt? He usually let's us know."

Scarlett looked up at the older woman in confused, her eyebrows knitted together. "What? He hasn't gone huntin'. He's still asleep."

For some odd reason, this completely shocked Carol, in a good way, it seemed. Her surprised expression turned into a smile. "Really? It's well after sunrise. He never sleeps in. He doesn't usually in general, not since Merle... Having you there must have put his mind at ease."

Scarlett blushed furiously like a teenager at the woman's implications. "What?" The question all but burst out of Scarlett's mouth. Carol laughed lightly, her worry lines still ever present. She sat down beside Scarlett where Lexi had been sitting.

"Good lord, it was obvious last night at dinner that you two didn't just 'know' each other. I've never seen Daryl that comfortable with someone before. Not even with Merle. And I swear he was about to rip Shane apart. It's the most emotion we've ever seen from him."

Scarlett felt as if her throat was closing up and found that it was becoming difficult to breathe. "We didn't- we were-" She had an overwhelming urge to spill absolutely everything to this woman. The emotions were so built up inside of her that it hurt, and Carol was the first person she'd had to talk to aside from Lexi for months. There were so many things she wanted to say, so many things she _needed_ to say. There were so many things crammed into her head, hidden away, that sometimes it she felt like she didn't have enough room to think. It was suffocating.

Scarlett was so caught up in her thoughts, she never noticed she was now breathing heavily, almost wheezing, and how her whole body had started to shake. She barely heard Carol gasp, and never even registered that she was being led into the RV.

"Scarlett? Scarlett, honey. Look at me."

Scarlett felt cold hands grasp her own and finally became aware of what was going on outside of her head. She was sitting on the sofa in the RV with Carol. The other woman was sitting right next to her. holding her hands in her own.

"Scarlett? Honey, I think you were having a panic attack. Are you okay now? Do you need to talk?"

Scarlett needed to. She _needed_ to. She _had_ to. She couldn't keep it in any more or she'd explode.

"But I barely know you," she said quietly. It was meant to stay in her head, but like all of her other thoughts, the words were gradually slipping through. Carol simply gave her a reassuring smile and placed a hand on the younger woman's shoulder.

"Scarlett, you don't know me, and I don't know you. But someday, any day now, we could die. I don't know about you, but I wouldn't want to go with a heavy head." Scarlett bit her lip. "Besides. Sometimes it's better to talk to someone you don't know. You'll feel lighter."

The woman was so comforting, so motherly. _Maybe I should take lessons,_ Scarlett thought. Annoyed, she gave herself a mental slap for being so harsh with herself. She tried her best. But sometimes her best wasn't enough. In the heat of the moment, Scarlett let her emotions loose.

"Daryl and I were together in high school. It was real serious near the end. We really loved each other. I really, really loved him. And then... then he left. My da, he was the sheriff, and you know how Merle was. Things went down with Daryl's da and... he just had to leave. I never heard from him again. I never held it against him. We agreed it would be best and that we wouldn't keep in contact. We knew it would... would hurt too much."

Carol frowned as she nodded. There was a sudden crash outside, prompting Carol to stand up and close the RV door and then return to Scarlett. "I can see why meeting him here would be-"

"It's not that, Carol. It's...it's... Carol, you can't tell anyone. I can't risk her finding out from someone other than me."

"It's okay, sweetie. I won't say a word."

"Lexi... she isn't- she isn't my sister. She's... she's..." Tears fell down Scarlett's cheeks . Her hands went straight to her face to hide the tears. She was humiliated and ashamed of them. Carol leaned back into the sofa, sighing as it all dawned on her.

"Scarlett, is Lexi your daughter?" The sobbing woman didn't need to use words, her slow, subtle nodding gave Carol her answer. "Is she Daryl's daughter?" More frantic nodding. "Does he know?"

Taking deep breaths, Scarlett tried to calm herself. _1, 2, 3, 4. 1, 2, 3, 4._ "He knows," she said, her throat hoarse. She moved her head back up to look at Carol, and tried to wipe away her tears. "I told him last night. He was okay... He ain't angry or ashamed or nothin'. He's only angry with himself 'cos he wasn't there for me. Wasn't his fault."

"Then what-"

"Lexi doesn't know. Not just that Daryl's her da, she don't know I ain't her sister either. I never told her. But Daryl... He wants to tell her. I want to too but... Carol, she'll hate me. I've lied to her for her whole life."

"You did it for her own protection, Scarlett. For yours as well."

"What do I do, Carol? The fuck do I do?" She couldn't believe she had just confined her biggest secret to a woman she didn't even know, never mind trust. Why did Carol even... _You stupid fuck, Scarlett. The woman's daughter is missing and here's you blubbering about Lexi, who was safe and sound._

"I'm so sorry, Carol. You didn't need to hear any of this. I'll go wake Daryl up so we can get started with the search." Scarlett quickly stood up, feeling slightly dizzy once up on her feet. Just as she went to open the door, Carol broke the silence.

"You should tell her, Scarlett. Both of you, together. The longer you leave it, the worse it will hurt her."

Scarlett took a sharp intake of breath at the words. She spun around and pulled Carol into a hug. "Thank you for listening, Carol. Me 'nd Daryl will find your little girl. I promise."

* * *

 ** _1993_**

"Hunting? _Hunting?_ "

"Yes, Hayley. Hunting."

"Oh my god, what is he doing? There's nothing romantic about killing Bambi!"

"Hayley, my dad used to do it and everything. I really want to learn. Anyway, it's not supposed to be romantic. He's just paying me back for my help."

"You know Hayley, I think you're wrong. It could be really romantic. Imagine, alone in the woods-"

"Amy, stop."

"-nothing but the birds singing and the leaves swinging in the breeze-"

"Amy."

"-and him there with his arms around you, showing you how to use the bow-"

" _Amy, please_."

The red head pouted and proceeded to stab her food with her fork.

"We're sorry," Hayley said, her tone sincere. She sent a pointed glare towards Amy. The other girl rolled her eyes in reply. "We're getting carried away. We just want to see you happy. We don't like seeing you lonely."

"I'm not lonely. I have you guys."

Hayley looked at Scarlett with an eye brow raised. She wasn't the slightest convinced. "That's not what I mean, and you know it."

Scarlett stared at the table, absent-mindedly stirring her soup with her left hand and resting her chin on her right. They were right, but she would never, ever admit it.


End file.
